Readings in Urban Theory

 This collection of readings examines the interaction of economy, culture, politics, policy and space within the United States and the United Kingdom. It brings together in one place unabridged selections from recent works by authors who have dramatically transformed the field of urban theory. The readings deal with the changing urban and regional system, its social impacts, the effect of publicly-sponsored redevelopment programs, and the cultural meanings of spatial relations. For the second edition, more than half of the readings are new and the introduction and section prefaces have been revised. A section on the city and 'the new urbanism' has been added, and there is increased emphasis on design, tourism, sustainability and culture. Many of the additions and replacements are by the same authors as the readings in the previous edition but are more recent, keeping the volume current. Comprehensive and well organised, this convenient reader will continue to stimulate classroom debate.

Review: "This remarkable multidisciplinary anthology provides the theoretical tools for readers to make sense of the urban world. Essays by leading scholars review the ideas and concepts that underpin urban policy and planning-from cities' functions in a regional and global context to their role as reflectors of urban culture and fantasy. Readers will be challenged by analyses of urban racism and rights of citizenship, growth machines and tourist bubbles, global cities and the new urbanism." John Logan, University of Albany